CLEMSON, S.C. – A pair of defending league champions will lead the Maryland Terrapins into the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships this weekend at Clemson.

Junior Amber Melville won the women’s high jump a year ago and enters this year’s indoor meet as one of three Terrapins ranked among the top four in the ACC in that event. Melville was one of three women over 5 feet, 10 inches last year, but won the title on fewer misses.

Fellow junior Thea LaFond captured the individual title in 2013 in the pentathlon, the combined event for women during the indoor season. LaFond scored 4,111 points last year to win the ACC title by more than 300 points.

Senior Amina Smith and LaFond are the other Maryland high jumpers near the top of the rankings in that event. Smith has the league’s best mark of the season, having cleared 6-0 3/4 in mid-February. Melville is ranked second with LaFond fourth in the high jump in the league.

Smith and Melville are third and sixth in the nation so far this year. The top 16 athletes in each event nationally will be invited to the NCAA Indoor Championships March 14 and 15 in Albuquerque, N.M.

LaFond can be found in league rankings over a number of events. Through meets of Feb. 21, she was listed second in the long jump, third in the triple jump and seventh in the 60-meter hurdles.

Sophomore Cici Onyekwere has led the Terps throughout the season in the throwing events and was ranked seventh in the shot put coming into the championships. She has four first-place finishes in the shot put this year.

On the track, Maryland is expected to be strong in the middle distances.

Junior Myah Hicks has the Terps’ best marks of the season at each distance from 600 meters through the mile. Senior Julie Sinkovitz holds Maryland school records at 600 and 800 meters and could combine with Hicks for strength in the 800.

Maryland’s distance duo of senior Becky Yep and transfer from Air Force Kate Kanetzky will be featured in the 3,000 and 5,000.

The ACC Indoor starts Thursday with the pentathlon and the distance medley relays. Trials in most running events will be Friday, along with long jump and high jump finals. Finals on Saturday will begin at 11 a.m.

ESPN3 will show live action of the ACC Championship beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday and from noon until conclusion on Saturday.